Specter of murdered boy hangs over trial

Updated 1:05 am, Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Russell Peeler Jr., right, confers with his defense lawyer Robert Sullivan on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

Russell Peeler Jr., right, confers with his defense lawyer Robert Sullivan on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the ... more

Russell Peeler Jr. looks towards his defense lawyer Robert Sullivan on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999.

Russell Peeler Jr. looks towards his defense lawyer Robert Sullivan on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998

Russell Peeler Jr. listens to testimony on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

Russell Peeler Jr. listens to testimony on the first day of his murder trial in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of Rudolph Snead ... more

State's Attorney Joseph Corradino asks witness Tyree Snead to identify a photograph of Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of TyreeâÄôs father, Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

State's Attorney Joseph Corradino asks witness Tyree Snead to identify a photograph of Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in ... more

A video screen displays a photograph of Leroy âÄúB.J.âÄù Brown Jr., presented as evidence on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of TyreeâÄôs father, Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

A video screen displays a photograph of Leroy âÄúB.J.âÄù Brown Jr., presented as evidence on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., ... more

A video screen displays a photograph of Leroy âÄúB.J.âÄù Brown Jr., presented as evidence on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of TyreeâÄôs father, Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999.

A video screen displays a photograph of Leroy âÄúB.J.âÄù Brown Jr., presented as evidence on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn.,

Tyree Snead appears as a witness on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of TyreeâÄôs father, Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

Tyree Snead appears as a witness on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of ... more

Judge John Kavanewsky presides on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of TyreeâÄôs father, Rudolph Snead Jr., and has already been convicted and sentenced to death for ordering the murder of Karen Clarke and her eight-year-old son, Leroy "B.J." Brown Jr. in their Bridgeport, Conn. home in 1999. less

Judge John Kavanewsky presides on the first day of the murder trial for Russell Peeler Jr. in Bridgeport Superior Court, in Bridgeport, Conn., Aug. 5th, 2013. Peeler is on trial for the 1998 shooting death of ... more

BRIDGEPORT -- Tyree Snead evoked a haunting image as he took the witness stand Monday for the opening of the Russell Peeler Jr. murder trial.

Handsome, trim, athletic and at 23 a welder by trade, he carried himself with an air of self-confidence. But all the while the specter of his boyhood friend, Leroy "B.J." Brown, hovered about him.

"Yes that's B.J., that's my friend," Snead quietly answered when Senior Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Corradino showed him a large color photograph of B.J., who was murdered in 1999 when he was 8 years old.

At the time, B.J. was set to take the stand in the very same courtroom before a 12-member state Superior Court jury.

On Sept. 2, 1997, both boys, then 7, were riding in the back of a car driven by Snead's father, Rudolph Snead Jr., when police said Peeler, vying for control of the city's drug trade, fired at Snead's car on the Lindley Street entrance to Interstate 95, shattering the vehicle's windows.

Following that shooting, Snead's family whisked Tyree out of state while B.J. remained in the city with his mother, Karen Clarke, as the prosecution's only eyewitness to the crime.

B.J.'s importance increased when, on May 29, 1998, police said Peeler shot Rudolph Snead to death in a Boston Avenue barbershop.

But then on Jan. 7, 1999, just days after a terrified B.J. told his mother of seeing that man again, "Russell" -- but this time across the street from B.J.'s driveway making the sign of a gun at him, the boy and his mother were found dead, riddled with bullets in their Earl Avenue home.

So Monday morning, 13 years later, Tyree Snead was taking his friend's place as a witness and Peeler was none too happy about it.

"This red car pulled alongside us and I heard gunshots," Snead testified. "Glass was breaking, windows were shot out, Russell was shooting at us," he said.

Asked by Corradino if he could see the shooter in the courtroom, Snead extended his arm, pointing directly at Peeler who had become rather animated, loudly whispering instructions to his lawyer, Robert Sullivan.

At one point the prosecutor showed Snead a head shot of his father from the autopsy, eliciting "Oh my god," wails from a contingent of Snead's family in the courtroom.

The 41-year-old Peeler is on death row for ordering the murders of B.J. and Clarke. In this trial, he is now charged with murder, attempted murder and two counts of risk of injury to a minor. He could face up to another 100 years in prison for both the Lindley Street and barbershop shootings.

Peeler had previously been convicted of the two crimes. However, that conviction was overturned by the state Supreme Court because Peeler was not allowed to have a lawyer of his choosing.

That lawyer, Gary Mastronardi, had been disqualified because prosecutors wanted to call him as a witness in the B.J./Clarke murders.

Police Sgt. John Whalen, the second witness in the trial, testified he was on patrol on Main Street on Sept. 2, 1997, when a car passed him with its windows shot out.

He said when he pulled the car over, he noticed there were two young boys in the back seat, and the driver's head was bleeding.

"He (Rudolph Snead) appeared highly upset, shaken," Whalen testified. He said he followed Snead's car to St. Vincent's Medical Center and later went to the Lindley Street ramp where he found spent bullet casings.

Testimony is to continue Tuesday morning.

Earlier Monday, Judge John Kavanewsky dismissed a female juror from the case when she said she had become too upset to continue after a friend told her the details of B.J.'s murder.